Incubator.



PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

W} s. SMALL. INGUBATOR. APPLICATION FILED DEC, 7, 1903.-

* s SHEETS-SHEETI.

Witnesses 1,5 ,61,91 Of xJ/ef I 61,6396 By W w. s SMALL.

INGUBATOR.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 7, 1 903.

PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEETB.

Inventor Jg NTED'FEB. 21, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 PATE APPLIOATION FILED DBO s. SMALL. INGUBATOR.

Lave n60? zLtnessea ,contal section of oi th casing are I spaced apart and arranged parallel with each h'rnrns 6F LOWA.

Patented February 21, 190.5

PATENT Clinics,

. SMALL, or has Mourns, 1owA.. Assiouon TO THE one iuonniiros COMPANY, or DES MOINES, IOWA, A ooRPo- INiDUBATOFL forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,083, dated February 2-1, 1on5.

Application filed December 7, 1903. Serial 134,076- I improvements in incubators, of which the fol- .1 I U3 lowing is a specincation,

he ohject this invention is toprovide improved means for artihcially incubating or hatching esgs,

y lure tion the. construction,

arrangement, and combination of elements hereinafter ZJOMEiB out in my claims,

andillur' ted o theaccoinpanying d rawings, in win 1 Figure QIQQWS a plan of the complete incuoator,

2 showss front elevation of the horizontal section of tely beneath the top. w Wtieeliongitudinal section of tneincuoator on line iot Fig. 1, the up- ;c portioniof the regulator being removed. 5 shows a perspectiveview of one of the inoisture-pans. Fig, 6 shows a perspective view the 'egg=tray,' and Fig. 7, shows ahorie water-tank.

in the construction of the incubator as shown the numeral-10 desi: nates the top, 11 the bottom, 12 the front n l and is 15 the end walls of the incubator-cas- I iil walls, top, and'bottorn of the Gas ing are made of wood. The walls and bottofii -siedof separate sections other, the sectionsheing separated by cleats 16 at their margins, thus producing, a hollow constructionof material advantage in arresting radiation of heat and cold and in main-' taining' anequahle and uniform temperature in the casing. Sheets 1718,0l heavy paper or cardooaro, are interposed between the 1nner section of each wall and the bottom and the cleats 16 adgacent thereto and provide furuser protection against the radiation above ment oned. The top 10 is formed of two sections separated only two sheets 19 20, of

paper or car hoard, and attached to the upper of the doors being 1.3 the rear Wall,

margins of the walls. Legs 21, in' this iinstance fourin number, are fixed to the casing and serve'to support the casing in use, The walls of the casing are built up and connected as follows: The inner sections of the front and and nailed to the ends of the side sections and the ends of the side cleats overlapping and nailed to the ends of the end cleats. Their;-

ner section of the bottom is nailed to the inner sections of the walls and the cleats are nailed thereto and con fine the sheets of paper or cardboard. The outer sections of the end walls are nailed to. the cleats and overlap the ends ot the side cleats, and the outer sections of the front and rear or side wells are nailed to the cleats and overlap and are nailed to the ends of the outer sections of the end walls.

and isoverlappcd by the lower margins of the walls and secured thereto by nails driven through said lower margins of the walls. The resultant construction is materially stronger than ordinary box construction and has the advantage of excluding air at the joints as well as'interlocking the, several sections. The legs 21, are notched at their inner corners and are fitted over and almost conceal the joints betweenthe outer sections of the walls. Cleats 22 23 arepositioned horizontally on the upper surfaces of the end portions ot the inner section of the bottom and are fixed to the lower portions of the inner sections of the end walls.

An egg-tray is slidingly mounted on the upper faces of the cleats 22 23 and is fitted snugly to the interior of the casing. The tray is formed with L-shaped side and end pieces is mounted on the lower portion of the side The outer section of the bottom is nailed to the cleats and enrhbars and the longitudinal bar oi the tray-frainc and is seen red thereto by tacks 2b. The cross-bar it; overlies the.screon bottom 27. .in opening is formed in the screen bottom 27 of the tray between the forward portion of the bar 26 and the end bar 24", ex-

tendingfrom the left end portion of the bar to the front bar 2%, and the said bottom also is tacked to the cross-bar. 'lhus provision is made for a doorway or opening, through which. the newly-hatched chicks may pass from 1 the tray to the lower portion of the casing" or 3 incubator-chamber bencatl'i the bottom 27.

Since it is desirable to utilize all the space in the tray at the commencmncnt of a hatch and it is usual to test out some of the duringthe progress of the hatch, I haveprovided a gate 2a to close the opening in the The gate 28 preferably is made E bottom 2?.

of sheet metal and of a length that its end the eggs have been tested out and the chicks commence to hatch in sufficient numbers to adn'nt them to the space below the tray the gate is turned back to the rear of the bar 25, thus opening the doorway. It is to be underor chamber for the purpose of turning back the gate, and unhatched eggs are prevented from falling through the doorway by the crossbar 26. wall of the casing of suliicient length and of said doorway. A door 31 is hinged to the doorway. Said door is secured in its closed position by turn-buttons 3" 33 on the front i wall.

Slide-bearings sheet metal bent laterally, are fixed in horichamber to effectthe proper incubation of the 5 eggs contained by the tray.

A jwater-tank is provided and preferably is madeof sheet metal, such as copper, and of annular form. 'lhe'bottom il of the water-tank is imperforate between the annular sheets 41 and ll", forming the inner and outer walls of the tank, and-the outer wall is of uniform di ameter throughout. The inner wall of the water-tank is tapering throughout its length. be

ing'widerat its lower end, and the outer wall isprovided with a petcock 42, whereby the tank may be drained. The inner wall extends above the outer wall, and a capped ingress-port at is providedin an otherwise imperforate top piece connectingand sealed to-the walls. outer wall of the water-tank is formed with an aperture to receive the outer end portion of a pipe 4:3, which pipe also is made of sheet metal, preferably copper, and is circular in cross-section. the end wall 15 of the casing and traverses the upper forward portion of the chamber therein. vlt is bent rearwardly at the left end of the chamber and extends nearly to the rear wall, is then bent parallel with its initial portion and extends along the rear walhand is then bent parallel with its left portion and extended to and communicates with its initial portion within the chamber. The pipe. 43

preferably is of uniform diameter throughout its length. stood that the tray is removed from the casing it may be filled with water through the filling of the tank 4C1, since the, initial end of the pipe opens to the tank and 3 all of the pipe is below the level of the top of A doorway is formed in the front the tank. wall of the water-tank in registration with i but of smaller diameter than the initial end height to permit of the removal and replaccment of the tray and moisture-pans herein- 1 after to be described, and a door 30 is hinged to the front wall and closes the inner portion of the pipe 43, and a fine 44 has its initial end portion sealed in said aperture and extends longitudinally and centrally of the initial por- I05 tion of the pipe. The fine as extends out of and is sealed to the first elbow of the pipe 43 front wall and closes the outer portion ofthe 1 water in the pipe to the desired degree.

zontal positions on the inner faces of the end walls of the casing immediately above the end bars of the egg-tray, and moisturepans 37 38 are provided, preferably made of sheet metal 29 a on their inner facesshaped and arranged to engage over and slide upon said,bearings. The moisture-pans 37 V-shapcd in cross-section and are formed with ends connected to the integral sidesby scaled joints. The space above the tray is sufficient for the moisturepans to slide in and out through the doorway in the front wall of the casing, and sutficient water is contained insaid pans to provide the desired moisture in the i to the atmosphere.

rially less diameter than the pipe 41 and yet n i of sufficient size that the radiation of heat 36, preferably made of 1 and projects th rough the wall 14 of the casing The fine 44 is of matetherefrom will raise the temperature of the The provision of a doorway inthe front Wall of Q the casing and the necessity of opening the same frequently during a hatch causes the 5 front portion of the incubator-chamber to cool and formed with downturned flanges or hooks T more than the rear portion, and it is on this f account that I have located the flue 44 along 5 the front wall of the chamber, since such lo- 0 38 are approximately 1 cation insures the maintenance of slightly greater heat in the front, where it is most needed.

A lamp bracket or shelf 45 is pivoted to and beneath the end wall lo of the casing 25 by means of a bolt or screw 46, (attending through the inner end portion of the' bracket and seated in the wall, and saidbracket may The 80 The pipe 43 extends through 85 An aperture is formed in the inner I00 be swung beneath the ca'sing'or projected laterally therefrom] as desired.

- with a 'sheekmetal chimney 48, extending within "the annular water-tank 41 nearly or Y quiteflto the initial end of the flue 44'. The

chimney 48is provided with a mica Window 49, through which the flame of the lamp may befviewed', I, employ a regulator such as is rofdescribedin' Letters Patent of the United States granted to the DesMoines Incubator Company March 1, 1898, and June 28, 1898, and numbered, respectively, 599,959 and 28,950. and constructed generally as follows: Abracket 50 'is mounted on and depends from the lower surface of the top of the casing, and a thermostatic cell 51 is fixed by a bolt 52 and rests on said bracket. A socket 53 is'fixed to and rises from the central porz'o' tion of the upper face of the cell 51 opposite the bolt 52, and an actuating-rod 54 stands inand rises from said socket through the top of the casi'ng. A. damperdever 55 is pivoted intermediate of its ends on a stand 56 on the 2.5 top of the casing, and one end portion of said lever. is provided with a damper 57 abovethe upper end of the inner wall of the annular water-tank 41 While the opposite end of said lever is provided with a counterbalancing-poise58, adjustablyhnounted thereon; 'An adjusting screw 59 is screw-seated 'in the damper-lever 55 and is formed with a socket in its lower end portion shaped and arranged'to receive the upper end portion of the actuating-rod 54. The adjusting-screw *and poise are'so set or.- adjusted that the da IiPeI 57 .rests lightly on and closes the upper end water-tan 41, and when the lamp is lighted 0 said damper directs the draft of heated air therefrom through the space between the chimney 48 and the inner wall of the tank and thence througlrthe flue 44 and to the at- "-mospbere at the left end of the casing.

The passage of the heated air through the flue 44 insures the heating of the water in the initial portion of the pipe 43, and the direct radiation of heat from the chimney and the initial end portion of the flue heats the water in the annular tank. The heating of .the water inthe initial portion of the pipe 43- expands f the inner wall of the annular.

A lamp 47 is mounted on the bracket 45 and is providedsaid water and causes it to seek anbntlet,

Since the heated water cannot travel "toward *thelam p and tan-k, w here the water isof greater 5 5 temperature it naturally reeedes'through the left portionof the pipe 43' toward the rear of the chamber andqph encealong the rear portion of the pipe and foryvard again along the right- I end. The result of the peculiar construction 60 of the pipe and the relative location of theflue.

is the establishment and maintainance of a contant circulation of water through the pipe that thoroughly warms the jnterior oftthe' chamber i t being understood that the front 6 5 portion or the chambergiaylge slightly warmer v than the rear portion.v To compensate for the slight possible difference in the temperature of the casing, the tray is reversed frequently during the progress of the hatch, thus providing for the application of like amounts and degrees of heat to all of the eggs.

When the temperature in the incubatorchaniber becomes too great for safety to the eggs, the cell 51 expands and raises the actuating-rod 54, which rod in turn raises the adjusting-screw 59. and lever 55. The lever 55 raises the damper 57- and opens the upper end of the inner wall of thewater-tank and permits the draft of heated air and prod nets of combustion from the lamp to escape directly to the atmosphere without traversing the flue 44. .Th'resultis a sli ht cooling of the atmosphere within the charm er and a relaxing of the expansive force of the cell. The regulator may be so nicely adjusted that the fluctuations of the damper will be very slight, and the temperature in the chamber may be maintained practically stationary, varying propably not more than one degree of heat from the desired normal. the water or moisture pans at either end of the chamber and extending from front to rear thereof and immediately below portions of the heat-radiating water-pipe 43 provides for the evaporation of the water from said pans uniformly, as required for the supplying of sufficientand desired quantities of moisture to the eggs. The pipe 43 is supported and confined in the desired-position in the chamber by means of metal bands 61, embracing said pipe and fixed to the walls of the casing. A ventilator-port 62 is formed in the central The location of portion of the top of the casing, and a slide-- bearing 63 is mounted on said top and surrounds said port. A slide-valve 64 is mounted in the slide-bearing 63 and may be adjusted to regulate and determine the degree of vent required through the port 62,'providing the single vent 62 in the top of the casing insures the escape of fumes and vapors from the chamber and the entrance of small quantities offresh atmospheric air, and the opening of thedoors in the frontwall of the casing frequently for the turning ofthe eggs and reversing of the tray provides altogether sufficient fresh. air.- Thus I have found it desirable to omit provision for maintaining a "draft of air through the chamber, even though controllable, inasmuch as some inexperienced operators give too much air to the eggs and destroy them inadvertently.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent .of the UnitedStates therefor, is

.1. In anincubator the egg-tray'comprising the frame, the screen bottom inthe irame formed with a doorway and a gate hinged to the frame and 'normall y closing said doorway.

.2. Ina-n incubator, theegg-tra comprising the outenframe formed of conne ed bars. each lL-shaped in cross-section, the central longitudinal bar connected to the end bars of the i frame, the screen bottom fixed to the frame- 1 bars and formed with a doorway therein and connected to the end bars of the frame, the

screen bottom fixed to and mounted on the frame bars and longitudinal central bar and formed with an opening in one corner to serve as a doorway through said bottom, a cross-bar mounted parallel with one end bar of the frame and fixed to the side bars, the longitudinal central bar and the screen bottom extending along the edge of said opening and a gate hinged at one end on the central longitudinal bar and normally closing said openin 4. In an incubator, the casing, the waterpipe in and extending out of said casing, the water-tank communicating with said waterpipe, the lamp communicating with said Watertank, the fine in said water pipe and tank and communicating with said lamp, the regulator controlling the draft from said lamp through the water-tank and flue, the pivoted bracket supporting said lamp, themoisture-pans in the casing immediately below said water-pipe,

the'egg-tray in said casing below the moistore-pans, which egg-tray is formed with a doorway in its bottom, a gate in the egg-tray normally closing the doorway therein, the normally closed doorway in the front wall of the casing and the ventilator-port in the top of the casing.

5. In an incubator, a casing, a water-pipe in and extending out of said casing, a watertank communicating with said water-pipe, a lamp communicating with said water-tank, a flue in said water pipe and tank communicating with the lamp, moisture-pans in the casingimmediately below said water-pipe and an egg-tray in said casing below the moisturepans! 6. In an incubator, the combination of inner end and sidepicces secured together, upright spacing-strips secured along the vertical edges of said end and side pieces, outer end and side pieces, said outer end and side pieces spaced apart from the inner end and side pieces by the said spacing-strips, and top and bottom pieces for the inner and outer end and side pieces.

7. In an incubator, the combination of inner end and side pieces secured together,

spacing-piece secured along the vertical ed of said end and side pieces and p rejecting outwardly beyond the side and also outwardly beyond the end of the corner, outer sides and ends secured to the said spacing-pieces and secured together and a top and a bottom. for the inner and outer sides and ends.

8. In an incubator, the combination of inner side and end pieces and a bottom piece secured together, spacing-pieces secured to the edges thereof, each spacing-piece projecting outwardly from tl'ieside, outwardly from the end and downwardly beyond the bottom of the inner end, side and bottom pieces. outer end, side and bottom pieces secured to the said spacing-pieces and a top attached to the inner and outer end and side pieces.v

9. The combination of an incubatoreasing, an egg-tray with its ends against the inner walls of the casing, heat-radiating pi pes ab 'we the end margins of the egg-tray and moisturepans detachably secured to the inner walis of the casing between the ra liatirigpipes and the end, margins of the egg-tray, said moisturepans having their lower ends close to the end margins of the tray and their inner walls inclined upwardly and inwardly over the tray, said moisture-pans of a size to lili the space between the heat-radiating pipes and the end margins of the eg -tray and not interfering with the use of the entire tray for holding eggs.

WILLIAM S, SHALL.

Witnesses:

J. RALPH ORWIG, W. R. LANE. 

